Google Ads To Phase Out Enhanced CPC Bidding Strategy via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has announced plans to discontinue its Enhanced Cost-Per-Click (eCPC) bidding strategy for search and display ad campaigns.

This change, set to roll out in stages over the coming months, marks the end of an era for one of Google’s earliest smart bidding options.

Dates & Changes

Starting October 2024, new search and display ad campaigns will no longer be able to select Enhanced CPC as a bidding strategy.

However, existing eCPC campaigns will continue to function normally until March 2025.

From March 2025, all remaining search and display ad campaigns using Enhanced CPC will be automatically migrated to manual CPC bidding.

Advertisers who prefer not to change their campaigns before this date will see their bidding strategy default to manual CPC.

Impact On Display Campaigns

No immediate action is required for advertisers running display campaigns with the Maximize Clicks strategy and Enhanced CPC enabled.

These campaigns will automatically transition to the Maximize Clicks bidding strategy in March 2025.

Rationale Behind The Change

Google introduced Enhanced CPC over a decade ago as its first Smart Bidding strategy. The company has since developed more advanced machine learning-driven bidding options, such as Maximize Conversions with an optional target CPA and Maximize Conversion Value with an optional target ROAS.

In an email to affected advertisers, Google stated:

“These strategies have the potential to deliver comparable or superior outcomes. As we transition to these improved strategies, search and display ads campaigns will phase out Enhanced CPC.”

What This Means for Advertisers

This update signals Google’s continued push towards more sophisticated, AI-driven bidding strategies.

In the coming months, advertisers currently relying on Enhanced CPC will need to evaluate their options and potentially adapt their campaign management approaches.

While the change may require some initial adjustments, it also allows advertisers to explore and leverage Google’s more advanced bidding strategies, potentially improving campaign performance and efficiency.


FAQ

What change is Google implementing for Enhanced CPC bidding?

Google will discontinue the Enhanced Cost-Per-Click (eCPC) bidding strategy for search and display ad campaigns.

  • New search and display ad campaigns can’t select eCPC starting October 2024.
  • Existing campaigns will function with eCPC until March 2025.
  • From March 2025, remaining eCPC campaigns will switch to manual CPC bidding.

How will this update impact existing campaigns using Enhanced CPC?

Campaigns using Enhanced CPC will continue as usual until March 2025. After that:

  • Search and display ad campaigns employing eCPC will automatically migrate to manual CPC bidding.
  • Display campaigns with Maximize Clicks and eCPC enabled will transition to the Maximize Clicks strategy in March 2025.

What are the recommended alternatives to Enhanced CPC?

Google suggests using its more advanced, AI-driven bidding strategies:

  • Maximize Conversions – Can include an optional target CPA (Cost Per Acquisition).
  • Maximize Conversion Value – Can include an optional target ROAS (Return on Ad Spend).

These strategies are expected to deliver comparable or superior outcomes compared to Enhanced CPC.

What should advertisers do in preparation for this change?

Advertisers need to evaluate their current reliance on Enhanced CPC and explore alternatives:

  • Assess how newer AI-driven bidding strategies can be integrated into their campaigns.
  • Consider transitioning some campaigns earlier to adapt to the new strategies gradually.
  • Leverage tools and resources provided by Google to maximize performance and efficiency.

This proactive approach will help manage changes smoothly and explore potential performance improvements.


Featured Image: Vladimka production/Shutterstock

Google Users Warned Of Surging Malvertising Campaigns via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Cybersecurity researchers are warning people over a troubling rise in “malvertising”—the use of online ads to deploy malware, phishing scams, and other attacks.

A report from Malwarebytes found that malvertising incidents in the U.S. surged 42% last fall.

The prime target? Unsuspecting users conducting searches on Google.

Jérôme Segura, senior director of research at Malwarebytes, warns:

“What I’m seeing is just the tip of the iceberg. Hackers are getting smarter and the ads are often so realistic that it’s easy to be duped.”

Poisoned Paid Promotions

The schemes frequently involve cybercriminals purchasing legitimate-looking sponsored ad listings that appear at the top of Google search results.

Clicking these can lead to drive-by malware downloads or credential phishing pages spoofing major brands like Lowe’s and Slack.

Segura explained of one recent Lowe’s employee portal phishing attack:

“You see the brand, even the official logo, and for you it’s enough to think it’s real.”

Undermining User Trust

Part of what makes these malvertising attacks so volatile is they hijack and undermine user trust in Google as an authoritative search source.

Stuart Madnick, an information technology professor at MIT, notes:

“You see something appearing on a Google search, you kind of assume it is something valid.”

The threats don’t end with poisoned promotions, either. Malicious ads can also sneak through on trusted websites.

Protecting Against Malvertising: For Users

Experts advise several precautions to reduce malvertising risk, including:

  • Carefully vet search ads before taking any actions
  • Keeping device operating systems and browsers updated
  • Using ad-blocking browser extensions
  • Reporting suspicious ads to Google for investigation

Madnick cautioned:

“You should assume that this could happen to you no matter how careful you are.”

Staying vigilant against malvertising exploits will become more critical as cyber attackers evolve their deceptive tactics.

Protecting Against Malvertising: For Websites

While individual users must stay vigilant, websites are also responsible for implementing safeguards to prevent malicious ads from being displayed on their platforms.

Some best practices include:

Ad Verification Services

Many websites rely on third-party ad verification services and malware scanning tools to monitor the ads being served and block those identified as malicious before reaching end users.

Whitelisting Ad Sources

Rather than accepting ads through open real-time bidding advertising exchanges, websites can whitelist only thoroughly vetted and trusted ad networks and sources.

Review Process

For an added layer of protection, websites can implement a human review process on top of automated malware scanning to manually analyze ads before serving them to visitors.

Continuous Monitoring

Malvertisers constantly update their techniques, so websites must monitor their ad traffic data for anomalies or suspicious patterns that could indicate a malicious campaign.

By implementing multi-layered ad security measures, websites can avoid unknowingly participating in malvertising schemes that put their visitors at risk while protecting their brand reputation.


Featured Image: Bits And Splits/Shutterstock

August Update from IAB Shows Ad Spend & Opportunities For Growth In 2024 via @sejournal, @gregjarboe

This morning, The Outlook Study: August Update has been released by the IAB as an update to their initial November 2023 study and provides a snapshot of projected ad spend, opportunities, and challenges for the remainder of 2024.

The study outlines the shifts that have occurred throughout the year, capturing current perspectives from buy-side ad investment decision-makers at brands and agencies.

Here are some of the key takeaways for digital marketers:

  • Buyers increased their 2024 ad spend projections from +9.5% projected at the end of 2023 to +11.8% today.
  • Nearly all channels are expected to post higher growth rates year-over-year (YoY), with even Linear TV rebounding.
  • Retail media’s ascent continues, with buyers revising YoY projections from +21.8% to +25.1%.
  • Buyers continue to focus on cross-funnel KPIs while shifting efforts towards reach optimization as interest in new KPIs wanes.
  • Measurement challenges persist for the industry, while economic concerns subside.

In other words, it’s time to spring forward, not fall back, in the media and marketing industries.

Buyers’ Ad Spending Forecasts For 2024 Have Been Revised Upward

The increase in projections is not what many digital marketers were expecting, so what is happening in the changing industry landscape?

Increased ad spending in the second half of 2024 is being driven by increased political spending around the presidential election and other cyclical events, such as the Summer Olympic games.

Based on IAB’s recent email survey of 200 buy-side ad investment decision-makers, primarily at brands and agencies, nearly all channels are expected to post higher growth rates YoY.

Yes, even linear TV is now expected to grow 4.3%, but nine other channels are expected to grow at even faster rates:

  • Connected TV (CTV) by 18.4%.
  • Social media by 16.3%.
  • Paid search by 13.1%.
  • Podcasts by 12.6%.
  • Digital video excluding CTV by 12.5%.
  • Digital out-of-home (OOH) by 8.9%.
  • Digital audio, excluding podcasts, by 8.3%.
  • Digital display by 7.4%.
  • Gaming by 5.1%.

Why Is Retail Media Expected To Continue Growing?

Buyers – particularly in the consumer-packed goods (CPG) and the beauty categories – are set to surge in the U.S. this year, pushing overall retail media ad spending to reach one-fifth of the total 2024 ad spend.

Okay, these are the reasons to spring forward, even if we’re on the verge of fall. But there are a couple of challenges that digital marketers still face.

For example, there’s been a decline in focus on new ad KPIs (e.g., attention metrics, weighted CAC, etc.), which suggests there’s been a renewed interest in refining and leveraging established metrics to achieve cross-funnel goals.

However, goals can vary by channel.

As I mentioned this summer in “Business Outcomes Are The Top KPI Of Video Ad Buyers – IAB Report Part Two,” IAB’s latest Digital Video report found that within the digital video channel, buyers are determining success via business outcomes, i.e., sales, store/website visits, etc.

So, figuring out how to use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to measure business outcomes instead of marketing outputs remains “the road less traveled.”

Understanding Evolving Consumer Habits Is A Growing Concern

While economic worries have faded, the concern over executing cross-channel media measurement has risen.

The resilient economy, marked by a 2.3% rise in consumer spending in Q2 2024, has eased buyers’ concerns.

But, as media convergence gains traction, cross-channel measurement remains a top priority, especially for large advertisers that spend over $50 million annually.

Other concerns, like managing reach and frequency across screens and channels, as well as media inflation, have remained flat.

Understanding evolving consumer habits is a growing concern – and is keeping significantly more buyers up at night than it did last year.

It does seem like it’s time to spring forward in the media and marketing industries, although this has traditionally been the season when digital marketers prepare to fall back.

All data above has been taken from The 2024 Outlook Study: August Update – A Snapshot into Ad Spend, Opportunities, and Strategies for Growth by the IAB. The study is a follow-up to the initial November 2023 release, providing current perspectives from 200 buy-side ad investment decision makers at brands and agencies.

More resources: 


Featured Image: SeventyFour/Shutterstock

9 Proven Ways To Improve Your PPC Campaign Performance via @sejournal, @andreaatzori

Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising remains a cornerstone of effective digital marketing strategies.

Often, when we begin work on a PPC account or campaign, it comes with some history.

Whether it’s because we inherited it or have been asked to conduct an audit, the goal is always the same: to look at it with fresh new eyes, making use of our expertise and hard-earned skills.

We need to make sense of it to fix issues and improve performance.

In my original post dated October 2021, I highlighted seven key areas to optimize in order to improve PPC campaign performance.

But as we move through 2024, the advent of AI tools and intelligence has significantly disrupted the landscape, necessitating continuous refinement and adaptation.

Additionally, the proliferation of privacy regulations has profoundly impacted data collection and insights gathering.

In this updated guide, we now explore nine proven ways to enhance your PPC campaign performance, considering these new dynamics.

By leveraging the latest tools and insights, you can ensure your campaigns are optimized for maximum impact and return on investment.

Nine Key Areas For Improving PPC Campaign Performance

1. Performance By Location

One often overlooked but obvious way to segment the performance by audience is to look at where your existing and prospecting customers are located.

Google Ads campaign perfromance segmentation by locationScreenshot from Google Ads, July 2024

You will likely see patterns for different states, regions, and even postal codes.

This seems to be quite obvious if we consider that demographics can be entirely different from place to place.

By segmenting your audience based on geographical data, you can tailor your campaigns to target specific areas more effectively. For instance, higher transaction values in affluent suburbs may justify increased spending to acquire those customers.

Ensure your campaign settings reflect these nuances to optimize performance.

2. Performance By Device

It’s a given. Despite the increasing convergence between experiences on different platforms and devices, user behavior can vary significantly across different devices.

While mobile continues to dominate traffic, desktop often leads in conversions for many industries.

It’s not just a matter of screen size and resolution, but also about context and the reasons why we use a device instead of another.

It’s crucial to regularly review device performance data to better understand your audience and the context in which they operate. This understanding allows you to align your messaging and user experience accordingly.

Furthermore, aligning this data with other marketing channels can enhance the overall effectiveness of your campaigns.

3. Performance By Network (Search Vs. Search Partners Vs. Display)

Targeting the right network can significantly impact your campaign’s success.

We could argue at length about the quality of impressions and clicks from partners’ websites. But most of the time, these generate such a small amount of traffic that in the wider context of an account, the spend can be negligible.

Google Ads campaign perfromance segmentation by networkScreenshot from Google Ads, July 2024

And considering that there is no way to target Search Partners alone, whether we keep the Search Partners on or off is a different matter.

However, that cannot be said for the Display Network — you should always split Search and Display campaigns.

While Search Network delivers high-intent traffic, Display Network excels in brand awareness, and while the end of third-party cookies and a cookieless future are upon us mean that personalized and targeted ads will be more limited, we are likely to see a revival of contextual advertising.

But even when highly targeted, display ads are a form of disruption of the user experience, and therefore we must always acknowledge that in our creative and messaging.

Additionally, we should likely use the two networks to target customers and prospects at different stages of their user journey and have different strategies, KPIs, and targets aligned to that.

4. Audience Performance

Often, we see search driving a significant amount of traffic from existing customers who use the engines to quickly “navigate” to a website to access their account.

If appropriate measures are not in place, these navigational clicks can be quite costly when they come from PPC ads.

Add suppression lists to avoid (where possible) incurring any extra costs that won’t drive additional conversions.

Per my previous point, the third-party cookie ban will limit your ability to target specific audience members and personalized ads, including retargeting.

So other logical uses of audience targeting include the segmentation of the user base (first-party data) into cohorts based on a shared attribute or identifier, and therefore defined by behavior (i.e., page visitors), and/or engagement (high consumption of content).

With the growing importance of first-party data due to privacy regulations, nurturing customer lists is crucial.

Google Ads campaign perfromance segmentation by audienceScreenshot from Google Ads, July 2024

But audiences can also be used for observation rather than targeting, as in the above example.

Since these won’t affect the campaigns’ performance, it is strongly suggested that as many relevant audiences as possible be added.

Once the data is collected, it will provide valuable insights into which segments are most valuable and which audiences are underperforming. This will enable you to make the right adjustments.

5. Negatives And Negative Lists

Keywords are still the strongest signal. But due to the complexity of natural language and the different (often unique) ways people search, even with the most sophisticated machine learning, machines can still struggle to fully understand the intent.

Therefore, it’s as important as ever to narrow down the chances that keywords might match unwanted search queries. You must continually review and mine the search query data available.

Even with the current limitations, search query reports can really help you understand what Google thinks a website or a page is about.

At a time when Google is encouraging advertisers to move to using more broad match and keyword themes, this can help reduce costs for unwanted, less relevant searches and exclude terms that don’t align with your campaign goals.

This ongoing process also helps improve your quality score and overall campaign efficiency.

6. Features Available (And Applicable To The Account/Campaign) In The Platform

Continuing from the point above, one of the reasons to use additional features like the ad extensions is the benefit these can have on the quality score.

It goes without saying that QS alone should be a compelling enough reason.

Additionally, considering that ad listings on search engines can be quite expensive, wouldn’t it make sense to try to always maximize the on-page real estate?

If we are paying a large amount of money to be there, we want to ensure it’s worth it. Besides, the more space we can take, the less will be available for competitors and other advertisers!

Additional features also include less-used options, such as the capability to upload offline conversions (more on that in a moment) or run experiments and A/B testing.

With the push for automation by platform owners, manual adjustments are becoming more limited.

Leveraging machine learning and AI for actionable insights and optimization options is now more critical than ever.

7. Conversion Tracking

Accurate conversion tracking is the bedrock of effective PPC campaigns – and this is one of my favorites – and it’s essential that we are tracking the right goals.

In digital marketing, everything should be measurable, and marketers should be accountable for the performance of their advertising campaigns. Conversion tracking should always be at the cornerstone of planning and executing media buying.

However, we often see examples of PPC accounts and campaigns that are either missing conversion tracking altogether or are tracking the wrong endpoints.

Provided we have our conversions firing and recording correctly, some expert tips are to:

  • Use the segmentation option from within Google Ads to easily and quickly see a breakdown of the conversion types by campaign (see example below). In fact, the segmentation view is an extremely useful, yet massively underrated, tool!
Google Ads campaign perfromance segmentation by conversion actionScreenshot from Google Ads, July 2024
  • Set the right conversion goal(s) for each campaign when using Target cost per action (CPA) or Target return on ad spend (ROAS) bid strategies.
  • Set up and make use of custom columns to add the different conversion points and/or performance metrics such as CPA, return on investment (ROI) or ROAS.

Besides, the importance of conversion data has increased exponentially as it informs machine-driven optimization, so importing offline conversions and using enhanced conversions are now essential practices.

8. The Role Of Automation And AI

The role of the marketer has evolved significantly with the advent of AI and automation.

It’s now crucial to maximize the effectiveness of these technologies.

Automated systems can mine and provide actionable insights from vast amounts of data, which manual methods cannot match; only understanding and leveraging these capabilities will help marketers stay ahead.

9. First-Party Data and Privacy Regulations

We probably cannot stress enough about this; with increasing privacy regulations, third-party data is becoming less reliable, so nurturing first-party data has never been more important.

Building and maintaining comprehensive customer lists in full transparency allows for targeting with greater accuracy and personalization while ensuring compliance with privacy laws and campaign effectiveness.

Conclusion

In the dynamic world of PPC advertising, continuous improvement is key.

By regularly updating and refining your strategies across (some of) these nine areas, you can achieve sustained success and drive better results for your campaigns.

Back in 2021, my recommendation was to embrace the Pareto Principle and focus on where you can make a difference right away:

“Look for those campaigns and terms that are responsible for the majority of the ad spend.

It is likely that 20% of those are accountable for 80% of your outgoing costs.

If those campaigns or keywords are hitting your targets, improving their performance might really help you to take things to the next level and become the company CFO’s best friend.”

Now I still think your job is to focus on the 20%, but the grunt work, the 80% is likely to be best left to the machines.

The advent of AI tools and the push for automation have transformed the role of marketers, making it essential to leverage these technologies effectively, while privacy regulations underscore the importance of first-party data.

Like never before, it is important to stay informed about the latest tools and trends and not hesitate to adapt the approach to meet the evolving needs of your audience.

Key Takeaways for 2024:

  • Prioritize data-driven decisions by leveraging the latest performance insights.
  • Regularly update and refine your strategies to stay ahead of the competition.
  • Utilize the full range of available features and tools to maximize campaign effectiveness.
  • Adapt to the evolving role of automation and AI in PPC advertising.
  • Focus on first-party data to navigate the challenges posed by privacy regulations.

More resources: 


Featured Image: BestForBest/Shutterstock

Google’s AI Now Chooses Your Local Ad Photos via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google has announced a new update to its Local Services Ads (LSA) platform, implementing an automated photo selection feature.

Ginny Marvin, Google Ads Liaison, revealed that the company will now choose photos from advertisers’ LSA profiles to display in their ads.

According to the announcement, this change is designed to increase ad engagement. The selection process will be based on an image’s perceived likelihood of improving user interaction with the advertisement.

Key Points of the Update:

  1. Photo inclusion may affect ad ranking
  2. Google recommends uploading 3-5 images to LSA profiles
  3. Photos should be high-quality, relevant, and original
  4. Not all ads will consistently include photos

Impact On Advertisers

This update introduces a new variable for Local Services advertisers to consider.

While Google suggests that adding photos could improve ad rankings, the actual impact remains to be seen.

Advertisers may need to reassess their visual content strategies in light of this change.

Photo Requirements & Recommendations

Google says photos must be high quality, relevant to the advertiser’s work, and original.

The company explicitly states that copied or stolen images are not permitted. Advertisers can manage their photos through the Profile and Budget page in their LSA dashboard.

Variable Photo Display

It’s important to note that photo inclusion in ads is not guaranteed. Google states that ad appearance will vary depending on user queries and other unspecified factors.

This variability may present challenges for advertisers seeking to control their ad presentation consistently.

As this feature rolls out, local service providers using Google’s advertising platform must monitor its effects on their ad performance and adjust their strategies accordingly.

How This Can Help You

This LSA update matters for digital marketers and local businesses.

It changes how visuals impact local service ads, potentially shaking up ad performance and user engagement.

What it means for LSA advertisers:

  • Better visibility: Good photos could boost your ad placement.
  • More clicks: Eye-catching visuals might up your CTR.
  • Edge over competitors: Quick adapters could get ahead.
  • Time-saver: No more manual image selection headaches.

What it means for marketers and agencies:

  • New optimization angles: Fresh ways to tweak LSA campaigns.
  • Added value for clients: Guide them on nailing their LSA imagery.
  • Data insights: Track how this change impacts performance metrics.

Keep a close eye on your LSA performance and be ready to pivot. Savvy marketers can turn this update into a win for their local ad game.


Featured Image: Mamun sheikh K/Shutterstock

Step-By-Step Guide To Earning Your Google Ads Certification via @sejournal, @coreydmorris

Getting Google Ads Certified is a great way to demonstrate a baseline learning effort and level of exposure to PPC and managing Google Ads.

Whether you’re coming out of school, entering a career that involves Google Ads, or simply want to learn, it is a great place to get started.

Some employees may list it as a minimum requirement on applications. Others will include it in onboarding and training. It can be a great place to start your own self-guided journey in less corporate environments or if you’re doing your own work to learn and level up.

Additionally, many agencies and organizations are part of the Google Partners program. Google Partners often must meet certain standards, such as maintaining different levels of badges or credentials across their teams.

One requirement is to have a certain number of connected accounts (strategists) certified, with certain numbers or minimums that need to be met in specific specialty areas (more on these later).

This article is about the individual certification (for professionals), so just note that it is important to make sure things get linked up properly with your company if you were asked to become certified for your company’s Google Partner program.

What Is Google Ads Certification?

Google Ads certification is a process by which Google recognizes marketers as experts in online advertising.

After passing Ads certification exams, individuals get a personalized certificate and – if affiliated with a company – can contribute to the company’s Google Partner credentials.

There have been a tremendous number of changes in Google Ads.

Google has increased the number of certification exam topics over the past couple of years, but in some cases, the rapid pace of Google’s platform changes hasn’t been maintained in the learning and exam content.

If you’re interested in learning more or taking your own steps toward Google Ads Certification – regardless of the reason or motivation – check out the four steps to work through the process and be prepared to dedicate some time to working through them.

How To Earn Your Google Ads Certification

Step 1: Get Started In Skillshop

Navigate to the Google Ads Certification platform within Skillshop.

In the top right corner, click Log In.

Now, we’re at a critical step right away. We want to ensure that the account you get certified through is the specific one you want to be certified. If this is your first time using Google’s Skillshop, you must create a new account.

Please read to the end of the details for this step before you start filling out the forms and taking any account linking steps.

Please note that if you have an existing account, you may still be required to do some new account linking or migration based on Google’s migration from skillshop.exceedlms.com to skillshop.docebosaas.com.

If you work for an agency or a company, you will likely be required to use your work email address.

Regardless of agency, corporate, or whatever status, you likely want to link your certification to the address you manage Google Ads to keep things simple and clean.

If you haven’t managed Google Ads yet and don’t have an account, you can easily create one here to get started.

If you’re a returning user, be careful to find your Skillshop profile and ensure your Google account is still properly linked so you don’t accidentally take exams in a new account versus recertifying your current account.

Again, you may have to perform additional linking and verification steps based on the migration of systems on Google’s end. Be mindful of that.

The account management piece can be confusing and frustrating as there are separate profiles yet linked accounts between this system and Google’s accounts and Ad management systems.

If you’re interested in having your certification count toward a Google Partners badge, be sure to link things properly using the company email address you use for managing ads for your Google Partner company.

If you’re interested, I encourage you to learn more about the Google Partners program details, requirements, and logistics for getting set up.

Please note that the certifications you need to be counted for Google Partners are more narrow and specific than those you need to be a certified Google Ads Professional.

Step 2: Select Your Exam

If needed, navigate back through Skillshop to the Google Ads Certifications again to arrive at the page with the list of exam topics.

You’ll find an intro page that provides background information to help you determine which certification is right for you and different categories or exam tiers as Google recommends.

Google <span class=

If your goal is simply to get certified, then you can follow the navigation to reach the page that is focused on the certification exams itself.

Google <span class=

Here, you can find the specific certification you want to start with and click on it.

Within the specific certification, read the overview info.

When you’re ready to dive in, click the Get Started button.

Step 3: Prepare For Exams

Google provides both basic educational info and more extensive training content.

The specific Google Ads certifications include:

  • AI-Powered Performance Ads Certification.
  • AI-Powered Shopping Ads Certification.
  • Google Ads – Measurement Certification.
  • Google Ads Apps Certification.
  • Google Ads Creative Certification.
  • Google Ads Display Certification.
  • Google Ads Search Certification.
  • Google Ads Video Certification.
  • Grow Offline Sales Certification.

If you’re brand new to Ads and the certification exams, I recommend starting with the Google Ads Search Certification.

Search ads are one of the fundamental and traditional types of ads from the Google Ads platform.

But if you are more focused on something like just shopping, then start there.

Or, if you’re brand new and are most interested in the newer AI-powered ads and functionality, skip right to that one, but know that you might need a little more training and ramp-up time to understand the AI aspects on top of some traditional concepts.

Training content is available and tied to each of the specific certifications.

When you click on any of them, you’ll have options to get started, including a quick knowledge assessment and other resources.

Google Ads Certification DetailsScreenshot from skillshop.docebosaas.com, June 2024

You’ll need to plan on investing at least a few hours to go through the training content specialization.

If you’ve been managing Ads campaigns or have deeper exposure, it’s still a good idea to go through the modules – even if you do it faster.

The sample questions are quite helpful; they are written in the same format as they appear on the actual exams.

This is especially important to note as with some of the recent rapid changes and features that have been rolled out into Google Ads, some of the exam content might be slightly (or more) dated than what you’re used to seeing in the platform on a daily basis.

Unless you have previously been certified and/or have moderate Ads experience, don’t skip the training content!

Step 4: Pass The Assessment

To become certified, you must pass the assessment in any of the respective certification specialties by achieving at least a minimum percentage of correct answers within the time allotted for the exam.

Note that you cannot pause the timer, so be sure that you’re able to dedicate the time required and can remove interruptions.

Your certification will then be awarded for that specific product focus area.

You can stop with one specialization or continue by going through additional specializations until you have mastered and achieved all of those relevant to your desired credentials.

If you’re an overachiever or love standardized tests, there’s nothing that says you can’t take them all.

Note that if you fail to pass an exam, you must wait one day before retaking that specific assessment again. That’s the only real penalty for not passing.

For all assessments you pass, which give you certifications, you will receive an email confirming your status at minimum. In the past, there have been badges and certificates to publicly display and download.

As things continue to change, though, I recommend keeping a digital record of your certifications. You can always go back into the dashboard to help show or prove that you passed and are certified if necessary.

The Google Ads Platform Is Ever-Changing

Whether you’re new to paid search ads through Google or have been managing ads for years and are just now exploring certification, I encourage you to spend some time with the steps I unpacked and see if you feel like it will be a worthwhile investment in your learning and personal credentialing.

As I mentioned earlier, be patient and know that there might be some disconnects between what you see in the exams versus in the platform itself as things are changing at a rapid pace with new features, interfaces, and ways that Google Ads works.

Regardless of your certification status, I want to encourage you on your journey with Google Ads and wish you happy and profitable days ahead for your business or organization!

More resources: 


Featured Image: Prostock-studio/Shutterstock

Google Ads Experiencing Outage Impacting Key Features via @sejournal, @MattGSouthern

Google Ads is currently experiencing a widespread outage that has affected several components of its platform.

The incident, which began on August 1, 2024, at 15:27 UTC, has left many advertisers unable to access vital tools and reports.

According to the Google Ads Status Dashboard, multiple features are currently unavailable:

  1. Report Editor
  2. Dashboards
  3. Saved Reports
  4. Products, Product Groups, and Listing Groups pages

The issue spans the Google Ads web interface, API, and Google Ads Editor, indicating a comprehensive system-wide problem.

Ginny Marvin, Google’s Ads Liaison, addressed the situation in a public statement:

“We’re actively looking into an issue with Google Ads. Report Editor, Dashboards, and Saved Reports in the Google Ads web interface are currently down. The Products, Product Groups, and Listing Groups pages are down across the web interface, API, and Google Ads Editor. Thank you for your patience. We will provide an update as soon as we have more information.”

Impact On Advertisers

This outage will likely disrupt Google Ads advertisers’ daily operations.

Without access to the Report Editor, Dashboards, and Saved Reports, marketers may struggle to analyze campaign performance, make data-driven decisions, or present client results.

Inability to access the Products, Product Groups, and Listing Groups pages is concerning for ecommerce advertisers who use these features to manage their product feeds and shopping campaigns.

Further, the API outage means that third-party tools and custom integrations dependent on Google Ads data may also be affected, potentially causing a ripple effect.

What Advertisers Can Do

While Google works to resolve the issue, advertisers are advised to:

  1. Monitor the Google Ads Status Dashboard for real-time updates
  2. Document any discrepancies or issues noticed in campaigns during this period
  3. Prepare alternative reporting methods using previously exported data if available
  4. Communicate with clients about potential delays in reporting or campaign adjustments

As of the latest update at 7:38 p.m. UTC on August 1, 2024, Google has not provided an estimated time for resolution.

The company affirms it’s actively investigating the problem and will provide updates as more information becomes available.


Featured Image: eamesBot/Shutterstock

Navigating A Cookieless Future: PPC Strategies For Privacy-First World

The digital advertising landscape is constantly changing, and a recent announcement from Google has shifted things yet again.

On July 22, 2024, Google made a surprising U-turn on its long-standing plan to phase out third-party cookies in Chrome.

This decision comes after years of back-and-forth between Google, regulatory bodies, and the advertising industry.

Advertisers have relied on third-party cookies – small pieces of code placed on users’ browsers by external websites – to track online behaviour, build detailed user profiles, and serve targeted ads across the web.

The initial plan to remove these cookies was driven by growing privacy concerns and regulations such as Europe’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the US.

However, Google’s recent announcement doesn’t mean the death of the cookieless future has been permanently averted. Instead, it signals a more gradual and user-choice-driven transition, allowing us to keep cookies for a little bit longer.

Google now plans to introduce a new experience in Chrome that will enable users to make informed choices about their web browsing privacy, which they can adjust at any time, thus giving control back to the user.

This change in approach emphasizes the ongoing tension between privacy concerns and the need for effective digital advertising.

While third-party cookies may stick around longer than initially expected, the trend toward more privacy-focused solutions continues. As such, it’s crucial for businesses running PPC campaigns to stay informed and adaptable.

In this article, we’ll examine the debate surrounding the elimination of cookies for enhanced privacy, explore the potential alternatives to third-party cookies, and discuss how these changes might shape the future of PPC campaigns in an evolving digital landscape.

Should We Get Rid Of Cookies For Enhanced Privacy?

The digital advertising industry has been debating this question for years.

Despite Google’s recent decision to keep third-party cookies in Chrome, the overall direction of the industry is moving towards more privacy-focused solutions.

Other major browsers, including Safari and Firefox, have already implemented restrictions on third-party cookies, underlining the industry trend toward increased privacy for users.

Of course, whether cookieless is the best path to greater privacy is still debated.

Yes, this would reduce some forms of tracking on the one hand, but on the other hand, it will spur efforts toward arguably even more invasive tracking methods.

Cookies also store a couple of user-friendly purposes like login information and user preferences.

As the industry continues to talk about these questions, one thing is obvious: the future of digital advertising will be a dance between user privacy and effective ad targeting.

However, that may be the case. Only time will tell whether it is in accepting the eventual phasing out of third-party cookies or developing new technologies that make the use of privacy user-friendly in the end.

What Options Are There To Replace Third-Party Cookies?

The urgency to find replacements halted after Google announced that Chrome would retain third-party cookies while adding more controls for users.

However, Google is still moving forward with its Privacy Sandbox initiative, which aims to develop privacy-preserving alternatives to third-party cookies.

The Privacy Sandbox is a collective name given to ongoing collaborative efforts to create new technologies designed to protect user privacy while ensuring digital ads are as effective as possible.

For some time now, Google has announced a raft of APIs around this, including the Topics API, Protected Audience API, and Attribution Reporting API.

These technologies are designed to offer a subset of the functionality of third-party cookies in a far more privacy-friendly manner.

While Google decided to retain third-party cookies for the time being, it is worth noting that the company is still investing in these alternative technologies.

This reflects the fact that the trend in the long run is toward a more privacy-centric Web, even though the transition might be happening at a slightly slower pace than initially planned.

In mid-2023, Google announced the release of 6 new APIs for Chrome version 115, designed to replace some functionalities of third-party cookies:

  • The Topics API allows the browser to show ads based on broad interest categories or “topics” that users care about without tracking them individually. For example, topics could include fitness, travel, books, and literature.
  • Protected Audience API enables interest-based advertising by allowing an “interest group owner” to ask a user’s Chrome browser to add a membership for a specific interest group.
  • Attribution Reporting API helps advertisers understand the most effective ads without revealing individual user data.
  • private-aggregation”>Private Aggregation API works with aggregated data from the Topics API and Shared Storage, similar to Attribution Reporting.
  • Shared Storage API allows advertisers to show relevant ads without accessing visitors’ personal information.
  • Fenced Frames API enables websites to display ads in a privacy-safe manner without tracking or collecting visitor information.

It’s important to note that these APIs are still evolving, and more may be developed in the future.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has raised concerns about various aspects of these APIs, including user consent interfaces, the potential for abuse, and impacts on competition in the digital advertising market.

As a digital marketer, it’s crucial to stay informed about these developments and be prepared to adapt your strategies as these new technologies roll out.

While they aim to provide privacy-friendly alternatives to third-party cookies, they will likely require new approaches to targeting, measuring, and optimizing your PPC campaigns.

First-Party Data

As third-party cookies slowly become a thing of the past, first-party data becomes very important. First-party data is information you collect directly from your audience or customers, including the following:

  • Website or app usage patterns.
  • Purchase history.
  • Newsletter subscriptions with email.
  • Reactions and feedback forms from customers, online surveys.
  • Social media engagement with your brand.

First-party data is collected based on the users’ consent and falls under the Utility Standards of privacy regulations.

It also provides direct insights about your customers and their activities towards your brand, enabling more accurate and relevant targeting.

Alternative Tracking Methods

As the industry moves away from third-party cookies, several new tracking and measurement methods are emerging:

Consent Mode V2: A feature that adjusts Google tags based on user consent choices. When a user doesn’t consent to cookies, Consent Mode automatically adapts tag behavior to respect the user’s preference while still providing some measurement capabilities. This approach gives users more control over their data and its use, balancing user privacy and advertisers’ data needs.

Enhanced Conversions: Implementing this improves conversion measurement accuracy using first-party data. It uses hashed customer data like email addresses to connect online activity with actual conversions, even when cookies are limited. By utilizing secure hashing to protect user data while improving measurement, Enhanced Conversions offers a privacy-focused solution for tracking conversions.

Server-Side Tracking: This method collects data from the user’s browser and sends it to the server. Instead of placing tracking pixels or scripts on the user’s browser, data is collected and processed on the server side. This method reduces user data exposure in the browser, improving security and website performance while allowing for effective tracking.

Customer Lists: This utilizes first-party data for audience targeting and remarketing. Advertisers can upload hashed lists of customer information, like email addresses, to platforms for targeting or measurement purposes. This approach relies on data that customers have directly provided to the business rather than third-party tracking, making it a more privacy-conscious method of audience targeting.

Offline Conversion Tracking: OCT connects online ad interactions with offline conversions. It uses unique identifiers to link clicks on online ads to offline actions such as phone calls or in-store purchases. This method provides a more holistic view of the customer journey without relying on extensive online tracking, bridging the gap between digital advertising and real-world conversions.

Small businesses, with their adaptability, can navigate these changes.

Though no single method would be a perfect replacement for the functionality of third-party cookies, together, these alternatives can supply similar functionality for advertisers and solve the privacy fault lines that brought about their deprecation.

Advertisers are likely to need this combination of methods to achieve desired advertising and measurement goals in the era beyond cookies.

Long-Term Strategies For Small Businesses

1. First-Party Data Collection Strategy

Shift your focus to collecting data directly from your customers:

  • Add sign-up forms against email capture on a website.
  • Create loyalty programs or share valuable content in return for information about your customers.
  • Use tools like Google Analytics to trace user interactivity on a website.
  • Customer feedback surveys to understand their view about a business and learn more about your customers.

This process will be successful by building trust:

  • Be open and transparent about how you collect and make use of the customer’s data.
  • Communicate and offer your customers whatever value they get in return for their information.
  • Give customers an easy way out and allow them an opt-out option. Customers must have control over their data.
  • Provide regular training to raise employee awareness about privacy regulations and best practices for handling customer data.

Invest in a robust CRM system to help organize and manage first-party data effectively.

2. Diversify Your Marketing Channels

Businesses should not keep all the eggs in one basket.

Yes, the need for PPC will always be there; however, in light of this drastic step, it is imperative now to diversify marketing efforts within/between:

Diversification allows you to reach customers through numerous touchpoints and reduces your reliance upon any platform or technology.

Remember that the rule of seven states that a prospect needs to “hear” (or see) the brand’s message at least seven times before they take action to buy that product or service.

3. Embrace Contextual Targeting

Contextual targeting is a kind of targeting that displays advertisements by webpage content and not by the profiles of users. How to work with this approach:

  • Choose relevant, meaningful keywords and topics aligned with your products or services.
  • Choose placements where your target audience will most likely be viewing.
  • Produce several ad creatives specifically for various contexts to prompt relevance.

Pros Of Contextual Targeting

  • Privacy-friendly since it does not utilize personal data.
  • When well done, targeting people actively interested in connected subjects is remarkably effective.

Cons Of Contextual Targeting

  • Accuracy in targeting audiences might be lower than the audience-based targeting methods.
  • Requires planning and analysis of content.

4. Use Tracking Solutions With A Focus On Privacy

Next comes server-side tracking and conversion APIs (refer to this article’s Alternative Tracking Methods section for more information). These methods shift data collection from the user’s browser to your server.

Pros

  • Improved data accuracy: Server-side tracking can capture events that client-side tracking might miss due to ad blockers or browser restrictions.
  • Cross-device tracking capabilities: Server-side solutions can more easily track user interactions across different devices and platforms.
  • Future-proofing: As browser restrictions on cookies and client-side tracking increase, server-side solutions will likely remain more stable and effective in the long term.
  • Ability to enrich data: Server-side tracking allows data integration from multiple sources before sending it to analytics platforms, potentially providing richer insights.

Cons

  • Increased complexity: Server-side tracking and conversion APIs are more technically complex than traditional client-side methods, potentially requiring specialized skills or resources to implement and maintain.
  • Potential latency issues: Server-side tracking may introduce slight delays in data processing, which could impact real-time analytics or personalization efforts.
  • Ongoing maintenance: Server-side solutions often require more regular updates and maintenance to ensure they remain effective and compliant with evolving privacy regulations.

These solutions may become overly technical. You can also partner with a developer or an agency to ensure their implementation.

5. Investment In Creative Optimization

With reduced accuracy in targeting, your ad creative is more crucial than ever:

  • Design creative, eye-catching visuals to blockbuster visuals.
  • Be bold, clear in your ad copy, and fast in delivering your value proposition.
  • Test different ad formats to find out what will make a connection with people.
  • Run A/B testing over ad variations, images, headlines, or CTAs.

6. Embrace Privacy-First Solutions

Track the numerous efforts underway within Google’s Privacy Sandbox and other fast-developing privacy-centric solutions.

Be prepared to test these tools and to scale up their adoption upon release to stay ahead of the curve.

For now, enable Enhanced Conversions inside Google Ads to deliver a better model of your return on ad spend (ROAS) using hashed first-party data.

7. Train And Educate Employees End

Provide continuous training to your workforce:

  • Educate your employees about data privacy and security.
  • Keep them updated with all the latest privacy regulations and their impact on businesses.
  • Conduct training on best practices in collecting, storing, and using customer data.
  • Embed a culture of privacy awareness across the organization.

8. Collaborate With Experts

Navigating a cookieless future can be tricky.

A PPC agency or consultant can help you with the latest changes and best practices, implement advanced tracking and targeting solutions, and optimize your campaigns in this new landscape.

When choosing an agency:

  • Check for experience in privacy-first campaigns.
  • Ask about their approach to first-party data and alternative targeting methods.
  • They have a record for converting to changes in the industry.

Start Now And Be Flexible As Digital Advertising Changes

Google’s decision to keep third-party cookies in Chrome while adding more user controls represents a significant shift in the digital advertising landscape.

While this move will definitely grant a bit of breathing room to the advertisers who are heavily reliant on third-party cookies, it doesn’t change the overall trend towards user privacy and control over personal data.

The strategies outlined in this article – focusing on first-party data collection, diversifying marketing channels, embracing contextual targeting, and investing in privacy-focused solutions – remain relevant for long-term success in digital advertising.

These approaches will help you navigate the current landscape and prepare you for a future where user privacy is increasingly prioritized.

Yes, third-party cookies are sticking around longer than initially expected, but the push to find more privacy-friendly advertising solutions still continues.

By implementing these strategies now, you’ll be better positioned to adapt to further changes down the road, whether they come from regulatory bodies, browser policies, or changing consumer expectations.

The time to start future-proofing is now. Start by auditing your existing strategies, building first-party data assets, and testing new targeting and measurement capabilities.

Stay informed about developments in privacy-preserving technologies like Google’s Privacy Sandbox, and be prepared to test and implement these new tools when they become available.

Taking a proactive, strategic approach that puts the user’s privacy and trust first ensures that your PPC campaigns will continue to thrive. The future of digital advertising may be uncertain.

Still, with the appropriate strategies and respect for users’ privacy, you can turn these challenges into opportunities for growth and innovation.

More resources: 


Featured Image: BestForBest/Shutterstock

How To Get Ad Creative AI-Ready In Search Ads via @sejournal, @LisaRocksSEM

PPC ads are at the core of many marketers’ digital media mix, so it is critical to stay on top of new features and ad tech advancements.

The hot topic and major changes involve AI to automate and improve the efficiency of pay-per-click campaigns.

However, it’s unsurprising that AI is not replacing the marketing strategist or PPC manager. On the contrary, the marketing team is more important than ever to provide high-quality manual creative ad assets to the ad platforms to inform the AI machine.

While this is an automated process, the advertiser is at the heart of this, providing the creative strategy, vision, and messaging. You power the AI.

Note: This article focuses on Google Ads due to their market share and volume, but many of these suggestions can be applied to any ad platform.

The AI power component comes into play through “automatically created assets,” where the “asset” is the headline or description of the ad copy. The “manual assets” refers to what the advertiser writes and enters into Google Ads.

Consider:

  • Automatically created assets generate new headlines and descriptions continuously to form ad copy that is relevant to the query and ad’s content.
  • Automated assets are used alongside and in combination with advertiser manual assets to show the search ad that is predicted to perform the strongest.
  • Reporting (asset details report) is available on automatically generated content, and advertisers can remove it if needed.

First, the advertiser must opt in at the campaign level. This is a good thing because there is prep work to be done to get the greatest benefit from AI tools.

opt-in to <span class=automatically created assets in Google Ads” width=”480″ height=”246″ class=”aligncenter” />

Next, prepare your inputs for AI-driven ads:

  • Landing page.
  • Manual assets.
  • Keywords.

1. Landing Page And Website

One key aspect of getting the most from AI is the landing page and website content. The AI algorithms need content to draw from, and the better the content, the more potential outputs will have.

After providing the URL, Google will find the relevant information on your page to generate ad creative.

Clear and ad-focused content. Clever, flowery marketing language or excessive jargon takes a back seat to concise, fact-based language.

Correct and up-to-date content. This can be a challenge for some smaller advertisers who do not have complete control over frequent content changes without incurring web dev fees. You may want to wait on AI right now if this is the case. For everyone else, be proactive and mindful about writing content for ads. Next, the “reactive” approach is to review reports to determine if web content should be altered or automated assets should be removed. The automated assets will change if the web content changes or assets are removed.

Content alignment. Ensure that the landing page content aligns with the ad copy. Keywords and messaging should be consistent with the search ads to maintain user trust and engagement.

Clear value proposition. Highlight the unique benefits or solutions your product/service offers. Use a compelling headline and subheadline that immediately captures the visitor’s attention.

Write strong CTAs. A common problem is advertisers simply not being clear in their CTAs in ad copy or on landing pages. Use action-oriented language repeated on the page and ad. Stick to one clear CTA. For a refresher, see this post.

Bonus: It is also a good idea to make a long-term plan to permanently change web content to aid AI in the future, as it is here to stay.

2. Manual Assets

The “manual assets” refer to the headlines and descriptions you write and enter into Google Ads.

Since the headlines and descriptions are served in many combinations, it’s important that the assets communicate a cohesive message. Enabling AI will allow automatically generated descriptions to be thrown into the mix.

Headlines: With up to 15 headlines with a maximum of 30 characters, try to assign a strategy to the type and number of headlines. For example, include:

  • Brand name: Although your company will appear in the “business name” field, it might not be the brand or product name you need to communicate here. Control the language and use a pin if needed.
  • Keywords from the adgroup.
  • CTA: ensure this is consistent and consider pinning this headline.
  • Feature/benefit.

Descriptions: Up to 4 total, with up to 90 characters per description.

While you want to use keywords, unique headlines, and consider Google suggestions, the ad should ultimately be clear, concise, and persuasive enough to get users to click and convert.

3. Keywords

In search campaigns with automated assets, keywords still matter and inform Google and, ultimately, your customer what the ad is about.

We want to stick with best practices in account structure and keyword selection. The keywords should always be closely connected to your ad and landing page.

If you have not been a perfectionist on this recently, now is a good time to review and evaluate your keywords, keeping AI automation in mind.

A great shortcut: While in the ad creation tool, venture into the ad suggestions area where Google will show you “popular keywords from the adgroup” you can click to add as a headline.

Finally, Performance

  • You can see the automatically created assets that were generated and served by reviewing the asset detail report.
  • Remove assets you don’t like: under the Responsive search ad > View asset details.

automated asset details in google ads

Conclusion

One of the misconceptions about AI in ads and automatically generated assets is that it’s a “set and forget” model that solves problems with ad management resources, time, and performance.

As we can see above, the process to enable AI takes knowledge, strategy, and ongoing management to ensure the messages served to your ideal customers can meet and exceed what is done manually.

This can only be achieved with humans setting it up for success.

Learn more on this topic: Google Ads: A Quick Guide To Every AI-Powered Ad Creative Feature (And What’s Coming Soon)

More resources:


Featured Image: VectorMine/Shutterstock